


Unspoken Truths

by Huggle



Category: The Alienist (TV)
Genre: F/M, Unhappy John Moore, but there’s hope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:35:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26928997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huggle/pseuds/Huggle
Summary: John’s grandmother has made him a match, but his daemon isn’t happy about it.She helps John realise that he isn’t happy about it either.
Relationships: John Moore and his Daemon, John Moore/OFC
Kudos: 8
Collections: Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2020





	Unspoken Truths

Her name is Adeline.

She is blond and she is pretty and her parents own a number of munitions factories and her brother is a senator.

John knows that most other men would envy him his position; when they attend the theatre, or attend a dinner, all eyes are on them.

And, after all, his grandmother greatly approves. He’s rarely seen her this …. 

He wants to say content but smug is better, as if she’s suddenly proved a point, but to whom he has no idea.

Everything should be fine.

But it isn’t.

“It bit me,” Adenline shrieks.

John sighs and tries to give a firm look to the sleek black cat sitting on top of the desk and staring unashamedly back.

“She doesn’t like to be touched.”

His daemon actually rolls her eyes at him, and he can almost hear her thinking _Oh, yes, the_ touching _is the problem here_.

“It’s feral.”

The small boa wrapped around her arm, head resting on her shoulder, gives the cat a venomous look.

John doesn’t like that. He has no doubt Athene can hold her own, but snake daemons are notorious for sneak attacks and he has no intention of letting Athene be in that kind of danger.

“She’s just getting used to you.”

Adeline takes a significant amount of soothing, but in the end, still pouting, she and her coiled friend depart because she needs another new dress for the party tonight.

“I’ll never get used to her,” Athene spits, the minute they’re alone. 

“You can’t even try?”

The cat’s hair stands up, ear to the tip of her bristling tail. “I haven’t clawed her eyes out yet. That’s how hard I’ve been trying.”

“Athene.”

“Don’t Athene me. She’s your grandmother’s choice. Why doesn’t your grandmother marry her if she thinks she’s such a fabulous choice?”

John almost chuckles. “She’s more likely to adopt her and disown me. Why don’t you like her, Athene?”

The cat scowls at him. “Don’t play ignorant with me, John Moore. She’s more of a snake than that daemon. She wants your inheritance. She’ll spend it all on fine clothes and champagne, and make you more miserable than you are now.”

He wants to disagree. To chide Athene for such harsh opinions.

Except. Well, they aren’t opinions, are they?

He knows it, but another truth is that he’s long since given up on dissuading his grandmother from this determination to have her way.

He knows she wants him taken care of, that she genuinely believes she’s doing the best for him.

But at times it’s like she really doesn’t know him, so how can she possibly know what’s best?

Athene sits in silence, letting him work through it, as if she doesn’t already know where he’s going to end up.

When he stands and reaches for his coat, she’s already jumped down and padded to the door.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

His daemon gives him an arch look; he won’t tell her it’s similar to the one he sometimes gets from his gran.

“Well, first you have to tell your grandmother than you and Adeline simply didn’t work out. Then you must tell Adeline it didn’t work out. Persuading her of that might take a while.

“And then we have one more stop to make.”

John smiles and opens the door to let the cat out.

He doesn’t need to ask where that one more stop will be.


End file.
